Michael Dickinson was born on February 3, 1950. He was an amateur champion rider before becoming a professional jockey for 10 years. His rides included a classic winner, Boucher.

Dickinson got his trainer's license in 1980, taking over his parents' stables, and he was champion trainer three times.

Michael Dickinson is perhaps most famous for his extraordinary feat of training the first five in the 1983 Gold Cup. In order: Bregawn, Captain John, Wayward Lad, Silver Buck, and Ashley House. The BBC has an interesting account, Dickinson's Famous Five.

Dickinson also trained on the flat briefly for Robert Sangster before going to the USA, where he had his first runner on June 30, 1987.

Dickinson won the 1996 and 1998 Breeders Cup Mile with Da Hoss. The amazing thing about the 1998 race was that the selection committee did not think Da Hoss good enough for the race and he only got in as another horse was scratched.